Umbrella top-notcher.



F. WETTEROTH.

UMBRELLA TOP NOTOHEB.

APPLICATION FILED 1130.23, 1909.

958,341 Patented May 17, 1910,

52 FFZ.

ANDREW a. GRAHAM 60.. PN01'0 UTKOGRAPHERS, WASHINGTON. u. t:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK WETTEROTH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 'IO ZITTLOSEN MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

UMBRELLA TOP-NOTGI-IER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WETTEROTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Top-Notcher for Umbrellas, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to improvements in what are commonly known to the trade as top-notchers, the same being the metallic device situated upon the central stick of an umbrella just beneath the point of union of the cover with said stick.

Heretofore it has been found in actual practice that the cloth becomes worn at said point of union by friction against sharp metal surfaces presented by the underlying notcher. Again, where one of the rods in engagement with said part becomes broken or when, for other reason, it is necessary to dismember an umbrella frame, it has formerly required considerable time of a skilful mechanic and the use of a number of tools to detach said rods from said notcher and to thereafter replace them.

My object is to overcome these disadvantages and to provide other advantages hereinafter set forth.

This device is designed for the retention in covered sockets of open hooks upon an extremity of the umbrella ribs, and advantages are to be noted in the facts that said rib extremities are not weakened by attenuation or flattening, as is the usual practice; that from the peculiar conformation 'of the device for shieldin the primary sockets and the manner of its c isposition relative to said rib extremities, both undesired upward and lateral movement of-said ribs is positively prevented; and that no special tools and but little time are required to attach or detach the ribs from the notcher. As a practical mechanic long engaged in the wholesale manufacture of umbrellas, I am familiar with many top-notchers which have been patented, but I am not aware that any of them anticipate the claim hereinafter inserted.

In the several illustrations forming part of this specification, like letters and numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in order to simplify the description the two prime members of my invention will hereafter be designated as shield or cover A and hub B.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1909.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Serial No. 534,732.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the under surface of part B; Fig. 2 a perspective of said part in its normal position; Fig. 3 a vertical section therethrough; Fig. 4 a plan'view of art A, looking down upon its external sur ace; Fig. 5 a vertical sect-ion of part A; and Fig. 6 a perspective of the several parts operatively assembled.

Hub B is preferably formed of a single piece of cold-rolled steel, and is acted upon by dies to provide a tubular collar 1, notched at 2 for the insertion of nails or screws; a shouldered base 3; a plurality of gripping tongues 4 radiating at right angles to said base portion; and a plurality of primary sockets 5 alternating with members 4, an annular ring 6 being disposed midway the longitudinal extent of said sockets and retained in such position by rebending thereover tongues at.

Shield A comprises a body portion 7 from which depends at a right angle a skirt or flange 8 having locking lugs 9, and in said flange are vertically disposed a series of comparatively lengthy secondary sockets or slots 10 registering with primary sockets 5 and accommodating the extremities 11 of ribs 11 as the hooked ends of the latter engage ring 6.

In practice hub B is slipped over and mechanically forced down upon the tapering extremity of the central stick of the umbrella, and is additionally locked against revolutionary or longitudinal movement by passing nails or screws through notches 2 of tubular collar 1; open hooks at an extremity of ribs 11 are inserted in primary sockets 5, having ring 6 as their supporting axis; shield A descends over collar 1, finding a bearing surface in shouldered base portion 3; and lugs 9 are bent inwardly to engage the under surface of tongues 4c. Thereafter a comparatively broad disk of canvas may be disposed over shield A in order to further protect the cloth cover from contact with the rib extremities as they enter the notcher, and the center of the umbrella cover is then disposed over said shield and tightly held in position by a customary ferrule-cap.

When the umbrella is raised or lowered ribs 11 readily turn upon ring 6, and because of secondary sockets l0 meet no interference from shield A in the exercise of their proper function, but it is to be noted as a special feature of my invention that sockets 10 so snugly engage said ribs as to reduce the undesirable lateral movement of the lat ter to a minimum, while the danger of a reversal of the umbrella frame during high winds is eliminated by reason of the fact that the upward movement of the ribs is positively limited by their contact with apex 10 of sockets 10.

l/Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is An umbrella top-notcher comprising a hub or rib-retaining member having a tubular collar; notches in the periphery thereof; an outstanding annular flange depending from said collar; a shoulder at the point of union of said flange with said collar; a plurality of gripping tongues prolonged from and at a right angle to said flange; said tongues gradually widening from the base of said flange to their periphery; a plurality of apertures alternate with said tongues; an

annular ring disposed midway the longitudinal extent of said apertures; the circumferential margin of said tongues rebent over said ring; open hooks upon an extremity of the umbrella ribs engaging said ring over said apertures; an individual cover member A disposed over said collar of said hub member, bearing upon said shoulder thereof, and completely incasing the external surface of said annular flange, said gripping tongues, said ring, and said hooked extremities of said ribs; said cover member having slots for the insertion therethrough of said ribs,

the upward and lateral movement thereof being positively limited by the defining walls of said slots.

FRANK WETTEROTH.

Witnesses PAUL GnossE, JAMES E. GARSTAND. 

